diff --git a/design/protocol.md b/design/protocol.md
index 550cc86..33daca2 100644
--- a/design/protocol.md
+++ b/design/protocol.md
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@ dependant on which transport is being used.
 A message refers to a block of octets sent within a transaction, paired with an
 unsigned 16-bit method code. The order of messages within a given transaction is
 preserved, but the order of messages accross the entire connection is not
-guaranteed.
-
-The message payload must be 65,535 (unsigned 16-bit integer limit) octets or
-smaller in length. This does not include the method code. Applications are free
-to send whatever data they wish as the payload, but TAPE is recommended for
-encoding it.
+guaranteed. There is no functional limit on the size of a message payload, but
+there may be one depending on which
+[METADAPT sub-protocol](#message-and-transaction-demarcation-protocol-metadapt)
+is in use.
 
 Method codes should be written in upper-case base 16 with the prefix "M" in
 logs, error messages, documentation, etc. For example, the method code 62,206 in